ESA Draco Mission Passes Design Review
ESA announced that its Draco reentry mission has passed its Critical Design Review, enabling full-scale manufacturing and integration ahead of a planned 2027 launch.
ESA announced on 17 August that its Draco reentry mission has passed its Critical Design Review, allowing the project to move into full-scale manufacturing and integration ahead of a 2027 launch.
Design Review Milestone
The Critical Design Review (CDR) was completed in just one year after the previous review, keeping the mission on its tight schedule. ESA Draco project manager Stijn Lemmens said the review validated the design of all Draco systems. With the CDR complete, the team can now begin manufacturing and integration of flight hardware, followed by a testing campaign that will include high-altitude balloon drop tests.
Mission Objectives
The Draco mission aims to collect data from inside a satellite as it breaks apart during atmospheric reentry. The goal is to fill gaps in existing models used to predict spacecraft fragmentation and burn-up. The spacecraft will carry nearly 200 onboard sensors and four cameras to record its fiery demise and store the data inside a 40-centimetre reentry capsule.
The capsule will deploy a parachute after reentry, slow its descent, and establish a connection with a geostationary satellite to transmit the collected data. It will have a roughly 20-minute window to complete the transmission before splashing down, bringing the mission to an end.
Development and Funding
Development of Draco is led by Spain’s Indra Group, which assumed responsibility after acquiring Deimos Space in October 2024. A month before the acquisition, ESA had awarded Deimos a €17 million contract to develop the mission. The contract details are reflected in ESA’s stats for satellite development budgets.
Launch and Reentry Profile
Once launched in 2027, Draco will be placed on a destructive reentry trajectory by its launch vehicle’s upper stage at an altitude of approximately 1,000 kilometres. About 12 hours after liftoff, the spacecraft will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. The launch schedule and trajectory details are listed in ESA’s fixtures for upcoming missions.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Altitude of reentry trajectory | ~1,000 km |
| Time from liftoff to reentry | ~12 hours |
| Number of onboard sensors | ~200 |
| Number of cameras | 4 |
| Capsule size | 40 cm |
| Data transmission window | ~20 minutes |
The Draco mission’s successful CDR clears the way for the next phases of manufacturing, integration, and testing, keeping the project on track for its 2027 launch window.
